Are You Smart Enough To Be A Plumber?

It's been called many things -- the loo, WC, the lavatory or simply, the toilet. Whatever you may call it, one thing is certain -- life would be pretty unbearable without it. When something goes awry with your porcelain throne, plumbers can be called in to fix the problem. But a plumber's job goes way beyond unclogging toilets. Plumbers do everything from installing piping systems and fixtures to ensuring compliance with building safety standards.

Take the following quiz to see if you have the skills, knowledge and know-how to become a professional plumber.

1. Confined spaces are hazardous environments because they usually have:

a. explosive atmospheres

b. restricted access and egress

c. flood hazards

d. limited room for maneuverability

2. Using these reference drawings, determine how many 90º fittings would be required to construct the piping arrangement.

a. 4

b. 5

c. 6

d. 7

3. How many 2" pipes does it take to equal the volume capacity of a 6" pipe?

a. 2

b. 5

c. 7

d. 9

4. Where should you locate a fin tube radiator within a room?

a. where space permits

b. homeowner's preference

c. under a window

d. doesn't matter

5. Find the depth of the pipe invert at dimension X shown on Figure 1.

a. 1.85m

b. 1.90m

c. 1.95m

d. 2.00m

6. Class "A" fire extinguishers are used on and contain:

a. Flammable liquids, CO2

b. Metal, CO2

c. Electrical components, foam

d. Combustible materials, water

7. A 4" cast iron pipe with 1" insulation is to pass through a wall. How large a diameter hole is required to be cut?

a. 5"

b. 5.5"

c. 6"

d. 6.5"

8. A toilet seat used in a public washroom must be:

a. cover-less type

b. elongated open front type

c. round type

d. plastic non-permeable type

9. A drainage pipe suspended from a ceiling inside a building at it most upstream end is 7.5" from the ceiling to the center of the pipe. What will the measurement be from the ceiling to the center of the pipe if it travels 26 feet horizontally, has an 8-foot horizontal offset then continues another 37 feet.

a. 17.75

b. 20.5

c. 23.25

d. 25.25

10. A horizontal cylindrical tank measuring 60cm in diameter and 150cm in length is partially filled with water to a height of 48cm. Find the volume of water.

a. 361L

b. 364L

c. 368L

d. 371L

Answers

1. b | 2. c | 3. d | 4. c | 5. c | 6. d | 7. d | 8. b | 9. d | 10. b

Scoring

How many answers did you get correct?

1-4: Your mind's a bit clogged right now.

5-7: You know what you're doing, but there's a slight leak in your knowledge!